The present invention relates generally to apparatus for separating solids from a solid/liquid mixture, and is particularly concerned with separating apparatus for removing solids from a flowing slurry or sludge.
Screen assemblies are commonly used in separating solid/liquid mixtures in sewage plants, the paper-making industry, and other processing industries. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,876 of Ginaven, for example, de-watering equipment is described in which a downwardly inclined screen is supported in a frame. Slurry is supplied to the top end of the screen, and flows down the screen towards its lower end. As the slurry travels down the screen, liquid falls down through the screen openings into a drain chamber behind the screen. The de-watered slurry slides over the end of the screen into a suitable receptacle or onto a conveyer for further treatment. In this apparatus, different types of slurries having different water content are accommodated by different length screens, with sections of the screen being made longer for slurries which are harder to drain. Thus, a completely different screen unit is typically needed for each type of material to be separated.